http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/gallery/0,23816,5037202-17382,00.html#

UBS was sued on Tuesday in a Swiss federal court by wealthy American clients seeking to prevent the disclosure of their identities as part of a tax-evasion investigation by the United States Justice Department.
The lawsuit accuses UBS and Switzerland’s financial regulator, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, or Finma, of violating Swiss bank secrecy laws and of conducting what Swiss law considers illegal activities with foreign authorities. It also named Peter Kurer, the chairman of UBS, and Eugen Haltiner, the chairman of Finma, as defendants.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/business/worldbusiness/25ubs.html?_r=1&ref=world

An annual convention of newspaper editors has been canceled for the first time since World War II, undone by the worst economic crisis since that harrowing era.

The American Society of Newspapers Editors’ decision to skip this year’s meeting was announced Friday, coinciding with the final edition of the Rocky Mountain News _ the largest daily U.S. newspaper to shut down so far during a steep two-year slide in advertising revenue that’s draining the life out of the industry.

“The industry is in crisis,” said Charlotte Hall, president of the trade group and editor of the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel. “This is a time when editors need to be in their own news rooms doing everything they can,” to help their publications survive.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/27/newspaper-editors-cancel-_n_170598.html

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius Accepts Nomination to HHS Secretary.
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius this afternoon accepted President Obama’s request to become his Health and Human Services secretary, stepping into a central role in the new administration’s ambitious effort to overhaul the nation’s health care system.

Sebelius’s nomination comes just days before the White House is scheduled to convene a summit on health reform, an early step in the president’s ambitious plan to vastly expand the reach of the nation’s health care system. A formal announcement of her nomination will come on Monday.

The summit, which is expected to be the first in a series of open meetings around the country, is intended to spotlight the challenges spawned by the nation’s balkanized health care system — including soaring costs and gaping holes in coverage. It is also aimed at rallying public support for an overhaul certain to draw ideological and industry opposition. Similar to last week’s “fiscal responsibility” summit, the health session will open with remarks by Obama and then divide into working groups run by administration officials.

may need to be registered.
read the entire article in the Washington Post

No Argument About Stimulus Dollars As These States Get the Shovels Out.
Less than a week after President Obama signed the economic stimulus bill into law, some states are moving quickly to take advantage of transportation funding.

Missouri had construction crews working on a bridge replacement within minutes of Obama signing the bill (PL 111-5).

Iowa awarded contracts Feb. 20 on 19 projects ranging from bridge replacements to resurfacing roads worth $56.6 million.

In Utah, transportation officials solicited bids for six highway repavement projects. Contracts will be awarded in early March, said Nile Easton, a spokesman for the state’s department of transportation.

“Every Tuesday and Thursday for the next six to eight weeks we’ll advertise chunks of projects,” Easton said. He said all of the projects will be awarded contracts by late spring and the state’s entire list will be completed by the end of the calendar year.

Supporters of the $787.2 billion legislation (PL 111-5) banked on quick action when making the case for transportation spending as an economic stimulant. The Congressional Budget Office, however, was dubious that states could use the money quickly, and opponents still are skeptical how soon the $27.5 billion for highways and bridges will be put to use.

Pennsylvania’s Transportation Department is working with metropolitan and rural planning groups to finalize its list of projects. While department spokesman Rich Kirkpatrick couldn’t say when the first contracts would be awarded, he said mandated deadlines would be met.

“We want to do it right, but speed is a huge priority,” Kirkpatrick said. “There was no way this DOT or any DOT was going to drop the ball on this. The stakes were too high.”

read more on CQ Politics

Obama taps Sebelius for HHS secretary.
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is President Barack Obama’s choice for secretary of health and human services, a White House source said Saturday.

The source, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said Obama will formally announce the nomination on Monday.

A Democratic source in Kansas confirmed that Obama has spoken to Sebelius and said an announcement was expected this week. The source was close to the governor but not authorized to make the announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Sebelius, 60, was an early Obama supporter and a finalist for Obama’s ticket before he picked Joe Biden for vice president. During the general election campaign, she spent 24 days stumping for Obama in 16 states, including key battlegrounds such as Colorado, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina Ohio and Pennsylvania.

read the whole story in the Associated Press

Major Labor Unions Consider Reuniting After Bitter Split 4 Years Ago.
Union leaders are talking about reuniting under a single, more powerful federation, nearly four years after a nasty breakup split organized labor.

Leaders from 12 of the largest unions, along with rival federations AFL-CIO and Change to Win, have held three meetings since January aimed at setting aside differences and taking advantage of the most favorable political climate for unions in 15 years.

read the rest in The Huffington Post